Dancers, fights, shots spark bar complaints

Members of the Delaware County Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Thursday heard concerns from neighbors of a South Walnut Street bar about fights, gunshots and adult entertainment dancers.(Photo: Keith Roysdon / The Star Press)Buy Photo

MUNCIE – Neighbors and city officials are monitoring a southside Muncie bar following complaints about fights, gunshots and adult entertainment dancers.

“We can’t shut them down, but there’s things we can do,” Mayor Dennis Tyler told The Star Press on Thursday.

The bar that’s getting scrutiny from the city is Bout Last Night, 3421 S. Walnut St., in a building that formerly housed bars that operated under the names Chances R and Kruzzers.

The complaints against Bout Last Night surfaced after Thursday morning’s meeting of the Delaware County Alcoholic Beverage Commission, when Julie Wilkins and other neighbors of the bar along South Walnut Street spoke to ABC board members.

The board closed its official monthly meeting and members, including excise police officer John Barchak, heard an emotional Wilkins talk about the bar.

Wilkins also submitted a letter that recounted “multiple shots fired on at least two occasions,” “an abundance of litter,” loud music until 3 a.m. and “someone getting excessively beat up on the side of the building.”

Wilkins added that the bar has announced plans to have dancers until 3 a.m.

The Facebook page for Bout Last Night features posts since last September about open mic nights, DJs playing music and other entertainment.

A Facebook posting on Sunday noted changes to the business, adding, “The bar & grill will open daily at noon to 3 a.m. Mon-Thurs we’ll have dancers.” Dancers were also mentioned for other days, as was lunch delivery.

A Feb. 3 posting thanked security for “getting the disturbance outside and keeping it there. I have no tolerance for this. I have great love for my patrons and their safety is the most important.”

Longtime local businessman John Neal owns the property and liquor license for the bar and confirmed Thursday that he’s selling them on contract to Belinda Stallworth. A telephone number found online for Stallworth was disconnected. Neal said he would get a message to Stallworth.

ABC board member Terry Moore said the bar can often seem quiet but added, “At midnight it starts jumping.”

ABC board members didn’t elaborate on why they closed their meeting and heard Wilkins and her neighbors’ complaints off the record, but the advice they gave to the neighbors was much like what they offer during meetings, including taking concerns to police and prosecutors.

“We want to make sure they are in compliance with their permit,” ABC board president Tom Simpson said. “Beyond that, it’s law enforcement.”

The complaints come a few days after the weekend closing of the Joker’s Wild, the city’s last topless bar. Owner Jim Harty closed his bar Saturday night not because of complaints but, as he said, for lack of business.

Tyler said, as did members of the ABC board, that he doesn’t believe there is a city code regulating adult entertainment like dancers. Past actions against bars featuring topless dancers have been based on reports of criminal activity or concerns taken to the Delaware County Health Department.

“We’re monitoring it by working with the neighbors,” Tyler said. “We’ll look into it and deal with it as the law allows.”

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Facebook and Twitter